Outline of Rome v. Han ChinaThesis: Rome and Han China were both agriculturally based societies, whose different trading patterns affected their cultures, and amounts of commerce caused a split in the types of progress and success in each.

2Topic sentence: Han China and Rome were both agriculturally based societies.

DC: Han China had the geography and the capability to rely on an agriculture based society whereas Rome used their agricultural basis as a source of revenue.

Evidence: Rome used the export of their grape and olive produce to prosper and China grew lots of crops such as rice as a staple food to support the people. Their only trading route was the Silk Road. Dan Rendon

3Topic Sentence: Han China and Rome developed very different patterns of trade.

DC: Rome's trade was throughout the Meditteranean and far east into Asia and India, but China was very isolated and introverted and exported very little and improted even less. (Confucianism) Dan Rendon.

Evidence: Roman expansion and relation with ohter nations was largely based upon the commerce and what different areas had to offer. Han China was more interested in improving China from within not trade and spend time reaching out, leaving them isolated.

4Topic Sentence: The two great civilizations had a huge contrast in the amount of trade each participated in.

DC: Rome was all about either trade or conquest and created a strong, vast empire, while in contrast, Han China only imported what they needed and exported very little so that they could merely sustain the nation itself and deal with its own problems.

Evidence: Rome was all about trading to grow, which is why they expanded and set up colonies so much. Han China traded to get the few things they needed to sustain themselves and stay as isolated as they could which caused the economy to be fragile.